NBA returning to Chinese state television after 1-year ban

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The NBA returned to Chinese state television after a one-year absence.

CCTV announced Friday that it would air Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat — the first time that the league would appear on the network since the rift that started when Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted support for anti-government protesters in Hong Kong.

State television made an on-air announcement that the game would be broadcast; the network's web site had a preview of the game, including a photo of the Lakers' LeBron James and Miami's Jimmy Butler.

"In the Chinese National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival that just passed, the NBA expressed holiday blessings to Chinese fans," the China Media Group, essentially the operator of CCTV, said in a statement. "We have also noticed the goodwill continuously expressed by the NBA for some time. Especially since the beginning of this year, the NBA has made active efforts in supporting the Chinese people in fighting against the novel coronavirus epidemic."